Mechanism for compressing can-bodies.



J. A. GRAY.

MECHANISM FOR COMPRESSING CAN BODIES.

APPLICATION men APR. 16. I914.

1 ,140,676. Patented May 25, 1915.

WITNESSES: IN VENTOR. s. jbww/czzgz? f a 9 I 4; ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PAENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. GRAY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 191 5.

Application filed April 16, 1914. Serial No. 832,259.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J AMES A. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Compressing Can-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing can bodies for shipment, whereby the can body after being operated thereon will be in a substantially flat condition which will permit a greater number to be stored in a case of a given size than would be possible were the same in a cylindrical form.

The invention has for its principal objects to provide an apparatus by the use of which all bodies operated upon will be compressed to a uniform size, one which will operate on the bodies as fast as the same are fed thereto, one which is automatic in its operation of compressing the bodies'and discharging the same in their compressed condition, and one by the use of which the bodies to be compressed will be rapidly operated upon, thus reducing the cost of compressing the bodi and increasing the capacity of the machine.

lVith the above mentioned and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construc tion within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my invention, disclosing the supporting frame, the reducing matrix and the conveying means associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view disclosing more fully the shape of the reducing matrix, and illustrating a can body being received in one end of the apparatus in a cylindrical form and a can body being discharged from the apparatus in a compressed form. Fig. 3 is an end view of the discharge end of the machine disclosing the final compressing rolls and a can being discharged therefrom. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line w-w of Fig. 2, and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numerals l designate the side members of a supporting frame arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other, and formed at their opposite ends with the upstanding portions or arms Q'and 3, and said side members are connected by the end members 4. Rotatably mounted in journals in the arms 2 is the' transversely disposed drive shaft 5, which carries a suitable compressing roll 6 between the arms 2, and said shaft carries at one end a cog wheel 7 which intermeshes with a corresponding cog 8 carried by a shaft 9 rotatably mounted in bearings in the arms '2 above the shaft 5, and said shaft carries a suitable compressing roll 10 which is in slight spaced relation above the roll 6. The drive shaft 5 carries on its opposite end from the cog 7 a drive wheel 11 which is adapted to receive its power from any suitable source.

The central portion of the respective compressing rolls 6 and 10 is cut away as at 12 and 13 for the reception of the respective endless conveying belts 14 and 15, which extend at their opposite ends over the respective'idlers 16 and 17 mounted on shafts 18 and 19 rotatable in bearings in the arms 3. The idlers 16 and 17 are both cut away as at 20 and 21 to receive the belts 14 and 15 and the idler 16 is in a plane substantially level with the compressing roll 6 so that the belt 14 is substantially level, and the -idler 17 is positioned in a plane a slight distance above the compressing roll 10, that the conveying belt 15 will be downwardly inclined toward the compressing roll 10.

A reducing matrix or frame extends from a point adjacent the idlers 16 and 17 to a point adjacent the final compressing rolls 6 and 10, and said'frame assists in reducing the cans as conveyed therethrough by the belts 14 and 15 toward the final compressing rolls 6 and 10. The reducing matrix or frame consists in the parallel extending side members 22 supported at their opposite ends on the arms 2 and 3 by the securing bolts 23, and secured to said side members adjacent their ends are the rectangular supporting frames 24 and 25, the frame positioned adjacent the final compressing rolls bein of a considerable smaller area than the rame 24 which is adjacent the receiving end of the machine. Suitable upper and lower boards or plates 26 and 27 secured adjacent their opposite ends to the upper and lower interior faces of the frames 24 and 25 extend parallel with and in close proximity to the outer faces of the conveying belts 14 and 15 which move in a direction toward the final compressing rolls 6 and 10. The ends of the boards or plates 26 and 27 terminate short of the compressing rolls 6 and 10 and idlers 16 and 17.

It will be apparent that as a can body is fed onto the belt 14, the same is con veyed by the belts 14 and 15 toward the final compressing rolls 6 and 10, and as conveyed the can body is gradually reduced from a cylindrical to an oval body between the boards 26 and 27 and is prevented from rolling movement or displacement therefrom by the side members 22. As the can body is conveyed by the belts 14 and 15 beyond the end of the boards 26 and 27 it is in a substantially flat condition and is engaged by the portions of the compressing rolls 6 and 10 adjacent the cut-out portions 12 and 13, is finally compressed thereby and is then discharged in a compressed or substantially flat condition from the machine to be packed ready for shipment.

I have provided a device which is ca pable of receiving and uniformly compressing a quantity of can bodies at one time, one which is automatic in its operations after the bodies have been fed thereto, and one from which the can bodies are discharged after being compressed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A machine of the class described, the same comprising a tubular rigid reducing matrix through which the can bodies are propelled, a conveyer associated with said matrix for propelling the can bodies therethrough, certain of the opposing Walls of said matrix converging in a direction from the inlet toward the discharge end thereof for the compressing of the can body as propelled through the matrix.

2. A machine of the class described, the same comprising a tubular rigid reducing matrix through which the can bodies are propelled, a conveyer associated with the matrix for propelling the can bodies therethrough, certain of the opposing walls of said matrix converging in a direction from the inlet toward the discharge end thereof, and compressing means associated with the discharge end of said matrix for acting on the compressed can bodies as discharged therefrom.

3. A machine of the class described, the same comprising a tubular rigid reducing matrix through which the can bodies are propelled, a conveyer associated with the. matrix for propelling the can bodies therethrough, certain of the opposing Walls of said matrix converging in a direction from the inlet toward the discharge end thereof, and compressing rolls associated with the discharge end of said matrix and between which the compressed can bodies pass after being conveyed through said matrix.

4. An apparatus for converting cylindrical can bodies into a substantially fiattened condition for shipment, the same comprising an open rigid non-traveling reducing instrumentality, mechanism for conveying can bodies therethrough, and means associated therewith for receiving the par tially flattened bodies discharged therefrom for finally compressing the same.

5. A11 apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising an open, tapering rigid matrix for gradually compressing a c lindrical can body into a substantially attened condition, and mechanism associated therewith for delivering and conveying can bodies through said means.

6. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising an open, rigid matrix for receiving and gradually compressing a cylindrical body into a substantially flattened condition, and rotary means associated therewith-for receiving therefrom the can body and completing the compression thereof.

7. An apparatus for the described purpose, the same comprising a rigid open tapering reducing member for compressing cylindrical can bodies into substantially flattened condition, means for conveyin the can bodies therethrough, and assoclated mechanism for receiving the partially flattened bodies and giving final compression thereto.

8. A machine of the class described, the same comprising an open, rigid matrix. for compressing a substantially cylindrical can body intoa substantially flat form, means for delivering can bodies to be compressed to said compressing means and for conveying the compressed can bodies therefrom, and means for receiving the compressed can bodies from the compressing means for finally compressin the same.

9. A machine 0 the class described, the. same comprising a rigid, open tapering matrix for gradually compressing a substantially cylindrical can body into substantially an oval form, of means working within the longitudinally within" said matrix for 'con-' direction from the inlet toward the outlet thereof, and an endless conveyor operating veying the canbodies through the same. 1 11. A machine of the class described, the

same comprising 'an open, rigid tapering tubular reducing matrix through which the leaving the discharge end of sai matrix,

35 means for rotating said rollers, 'an endlessthe same comprising an open, rigid tapering can bodies are propelled, certain opposing side walls of sald matrix converging in a direction from. the inlet toward the outlet openingthereof, a pair of compressing rolls at the discharge end of said'matrix, and between which the compressed cans ass after oonveyer'operating over each of said rolls and each passing through said matrix. adjacentsaid converging" walls for conveying the can-bodies from' the feed end of sai matrix throu-gh the-same to the discharge opposite end of each endless conveyer 12. In a machineof the class-described,

described, the

tubular reducing matrix, certain of the oposing'walls of said matrix conver g in a from the inlet toward t e outletthereof, a pair of compressingrolls adjacent the discharge end of said matrix and f be-' tween which the can bodies pass after leaving the discharge end of said matrix, and a for the -can bodies extending conveyer throu'gh'said matrix and between said'rolls.

13.v 'An apparatus for the described (purpose, the same comprising an open, rigi tapering means for receivmgand gradually compressing can bodies into substantially a flattened condition, and instrumentali'ties' therewith-for propelling can assoclated bodies through said compressing means. v14. An apparatus for thetdescrlbed purpose,- the same comprising an open, -rigid structure composed of horlzontally tapering disposed bottomand side membersand a 'horizontally'disposed downwardly inclined top member, flexible means-traveling within and-through said'structure, and associated instrumentalities situated at the discharge end of. the frame structure for receiving and finally compressing the discharged canbodies.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification'i'nthe presence of' two subscribing witnesses;

JAMES GRAY.

Witnesses':

I. D. Tnonnnnnon, D. B. RICHARD 

